California Briefing / Beverly Hills

Schools limit nonresidents

The fate of nearly 500 "opportunity permit" students -- those who live outside Beverly Hills but attend the city's prestigious schools -- remains uncertain.

Trustees of the Beverly Hills Unified School District agreed Tuesday not to issue any new opportunity permits. But during their five-hour meeting, trustees could not decide on whether to allow existing permit students to graduate from Beverly Hills High or to require them to leave early. The five-member school board is expected to make a decision at its March 10 meeting.

The district has allowed nonresident students to enroll in its schools for years, in order to boost state funding and to increase their class and activities offerings. But the district is on the verge of becoming a "basic-aid" district that is largely reliant on its own property taxes for funding and will no longer have a financial incentive to offer spots to students who live outside the city limits.